Already known in the prior art from U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,007 is an insertable and removable high-capacity digital memory device. Each device from a family of removable digital media devices can be inserted in a host to enable the host to store therein data or an extract from the data. The form factors of the digital media devices in the family and the connector systems used for the digital media devices are compact to minimize the volume of space occupied in the portable device and for easy storage. Several modes of implementation propose an elongated compact form factor which provides an ease and stability of grasping for insertion and withdrawal. The digital media devices of the family have the same cases and are preferably constituted of a rigid or semi-rigid material. The digital media devices of the family preferably uses memory in series which requires little power and line signals such that few electric contracts are necessary. In particular, a small number of durable contact blocks form the contact matrices on the digital media devices, which in conjunction with corresponding contact blocks mounted on an adapted piece enables easy and practical insertion and withdrawal as well as a robust and reliable electrical contact during a long duration of insertion life. The digital memory devices of the family preferably contain a flash memory which enables operating at low voltage, a low consumption of electricity and a safeguarding of the nonvolatile data and at high capacity. The digital media devices of the family are preferably manufactured using surface mounting techniques, particularly the reduced cost “chip on board” technique. The digital media devices interface with the host directly or by means of adaptors. Access is processed by a dedicated controller or another logical element residing in the adaptor or on the host, or by a software program executed on the host.
It describes high-capacity cards and does not pertain to the use of small-memory cards such as the SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) cards intended for subscriber identification by a GSM mobile telephony operator.
Also known in the prior art from WO 98/15910 is a global electronic medical record (GEMR). That invention pertains to systems and methods suitable for a secure, confidential global electronic medical record, managed by the subscriber and which can be updated. These systems and methods, which are used on a network, pertain to the medical information of the connected subscriber, with access to the information, thanks to the network address and a password, being limited solely to the subscriber or an authorized user. Those systems and methods are particularly suitable for medical treatments concerning subscribers traveling abroad, the systems comprising an emblem giving the network address of the global electronic medical record of the subscriber or global electronic medical record servers. The password is communicated by the subscriber to the authorized user who needs to have access to the subscriber's global electronic medical record. According to the preferred implementation, only the subscriber's medical information residing on the global electronic medical records server can be obtained, while according to a more preferential implementation, access to institutional servers or servers of other medical sites makes it possible to obtain a complement of medical information pertaining to the subscriber, the medical information to be incorporated in the subscriber's global electronic medical record. According to the most preferential implementation, the global electronic medical record, which resides on the Web, has hypertext links between the parts of the subscriber's global electronic medical record.
It pertains to electronic medical records and does not pertain to the possibility of managing information by means of an SIM type smart card.
Also known in the prior art from U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,488 is a computer system and a method for programming said system to:                store individual medical data on a storage support, preferably of the size of a credit card;        add new medical data regarding the individual on the storage support;        communicate with other computers in order to retrieve the greatest amount of data regarding the individual; and        enable a second computer to collect and sort the data regarding the individual and other individuals according to certain medical criteria.        
That invention provides a solution for the storage of personal data, medical data in this instance, on a central system that can be consulted from a computer connected to said central system. That system, however, is not effective if the information is required in an environment not equipped with a computer, e.g., in the street.